


Recovery

by TaraHarkon



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Astral Plane, Eternal Stockade, M/M, Memory Loss, Music, Reapers, Ren is Magic Brian's sister, Spiders, Therapy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-19
Updated: 2018-08-19
Packaged: 2019-06-29 11:38:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15728649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TaraHarkon/pseuds/TaraHarkon
Summary: Keats is a therapist for the unsettled dead, a Reaper in service of the Raven Queen and tasked with helping those who reside in the Eternal Stockade come to terms with their existence and mortality. He has been having trouble getting through to one of his patients but he's got a few ideas.





	Recovery

The halls of the Eternal Stockade echoed with shouts and screams and the cries of those who hadn't yet begun to come to terms with the conditions of their existence here. The corridors of stone walls and floors were lined with solid doors, each closed, and down those corridors walked a young boy who had only been twelve years old on the day he stepped into bold eternity. The Reaper known as Keats had been given an offer, a deal with the Raven Queen on the hopes of seeing his brother and sister again, but they were long gone, their lich forms dissipated. He stayed on because he liked the work he was doing and because this way he could help people. There were so many more dead in the Eternal Stockade now, so many more people who had died suddenly and didn't understand, so many people who had no idea what had killed them until they looked back at their scattered and confused memories and remember the Hunger or the Grand Relics. 

Today's patient was something like that, one of those who had fallen to the thrall of a Grand Relic. Keats raised his hand and knocked on the door before stepping inside. His patient was seated on the floor with his back away from the door, quietly talking to something on the floor. His long white hair was pulled up into a messy bun and his ears flicked slightly as he listened intently. Then he turned slowly.

"Hello, hello, Keats, darling! So wonderful to see you again, darling." Brian smiled cheerfully, red eyes intent on the young Reaper. "I told you I would find Bryan. And look, here he is."

On the floor in front of him was a small furry wolf spider, only an inch or so across. Keats smiled at that and moved carefully to take his usual seat next to Brian. 

"He seems like a nice little guy. What've you been talking about?"

Brian reached out and the spider hopped into his outstretched hand. He stroked it gently, smiling distantly.

"Oh, this and that. Wedding plans, my little sister, all sort of things." Brian whispered then. "He is a lot smaller than before. I think he has been pining while we were apart. I will be needing to feed him more so he gets big and strong again."

Keats nodded in agreement, wondering how a spider had even gotten here from the Prime Material plane. It shouldn't have been possible. But then again, he'd seen a lot of impossible things in his short life and longer afterlife. Maybe this was just one of those things that couldn't be explained. Either way, it seemed to be just what the doctor ordered as far as Brian went. He was opening up to this spider more than he'd ever been willing to open up to Keats.

"Well, you don't have to let me interrupt. If you wanna keep talking about Bryan, that's okay. I'll just sit here and do some of my paperwork."

Brian lit up and reached over to pats Keats' cheek.

"Dear boy, you are such a sweetie." Then he turned back to the small spider. "Now then, like I was saying, Bryan, darling, what about music? You know he's going want just the absolute best music we can get but I don't want him spending the whole night playing. It isn't fair when he should be enjoying himself, ja? And letting me enjoy my time with him, of course."

Keats flipped a page on his notebook, turning so Brian couldn't see what he was writing, and began furiously taking notes. He'd known about the wedding, of course. Brian cheerfully told anyone who was listening that he was getting married. But this was the first he'd actually heard of the other groom. A musician, huh? Maybe he could use music to get through to Brian. And he hadn't even known Brian had a sister. She could be someone he could talk to to get some more information about this whole situation.

Honestly, Brian was one of his more puzzling cases. The man's only death crime was that he'd escaped the Eternal Stockade a year and a half ago during the Legion incident over Candlenights. Other than that, he was a quiet man who was a bit odd and talked about things that didn't entirely make sense. At first, Keats had thought that was a side effect of the man being a part of the Bureau of Balance, but then the redactions done by the Voidfish had never worked on the Reapers. Later, he realized it was a side effect of the man's death. The thrall of the Phoenix Fire Gauntlet seemed to have had some permanent effects on his mind since he had died while under the thrall. Or at least, some lasting effects. Keats was determined to find a way to cut through that to get to the man underneath by any means he could muster and if he could get the name of Brian's sister or this mysterious fiancé, then maybe he could find a path forward.

"Maybe she would do the catering, ja? Baby sister always liked to do the cooking. She  _loved_  the show when it came to the Underdark, didn't she, Bryan? Wanted to be just like that elf... What was his name? Oh yes, of course! Taako, that was it. Taako."

Keats' ears flicked up, curiosity piqued. Brian's sister knew Taako? Or had just seen his cooking show. Damn, half of Faerun had seen Sizzle It Up with Taako. Not Keats, but then, he was dead so he didn't really get out much. Still, it was something. A dark elf who had seen Sizzle It Up while it was on tour in the Underdark and had a brother who had joined the Bureau of Balance. That couldn't describe very many people, right? Then he decided to take a chance. Leaning over, Keats looked at Brian and spoke quietly.

"What's your sister's name, Brian?"

Slowly, the dark elf turned to smile at him, red eyes cheerful and yet distant.

"It's Ren, darling."

* * *

Keats felt more than slightly awkward walking on the campus of Taako's school, even with Lup walking next to him. He always felt odd on his brief excursions into the land of the living when they weren't for family events like Candlenights or the raucous party the twins liked to throw for their birthday. But Lup had said she could take him to meet Ren and maybe he could start getting his answers that way, or at least some of them. He tugged at the jacket he was wearing, feeling uncomfortable out of uniform. He was technically working but, he supposed, he wasn't doing that kind of work and people would be scared if they saw the Grim Reaper on campus. Even Kravitz dressed more simply when he came here to see Taako. 

"Come on, Keats, we're almost there. Ren's office is in the main building, with Taako's. You can always tell hers because it's neater." Lup grinned then. "It's also got her name on the door."

She leaned over to ruffle his hair and Keats batted her hand away.

"Come  _on,_ Lup! I need to look professional. Just this once."

"Keats, my dude, you look fine. She's not gonna take you any less seriously because your hair's a little mussed." Then she turned and stopped him, taking a moment to fix his hair and adjust his shirt collar. "But just in case, there. Now you look like a serious little dude."

A smile crossed his face and he gave her a quick hug.

"Thanks, Lup."

Then they turned and kept walking towards the offices. 

* * *

Ren's office was the smaller of the two for the school's founders and she was surrounded by paperwork and books, most of it for tracking expenditures. It was a lot of work, keeping up with Taako, but it was work she enjoyed greatly. She was doing something meaningful, something to help people. Between that and running the scholarship program (which Taako kept a complete secret, of course), she had her hands full. 

When the knock sounded on the door, Ren looked up from the account book she was in the middle of balancing, a little frown of concentration on her face. Then she saw that it wasn't Taako at the door, but Lup and a younger elf who she pushed forward.

"S'up, Ren? Hope Taako isn't working you too hard. You got lunch today, right?"

Ren smiled and closed the account book, setting it aside.

"He actually made lunch for both of us. It's real great to see you again. How's the Reaper gig been going? I heard you're working with Kravitz now."

Lup grinned and grabbed a chair, spinning it around so she could lean against the back.

"Yeah, it's pretty rad. Me and Bear are having a great time with it. He's gotten all these new research opportunities. It made his little nerd day, you know?"

Her words teased, but her tone was full of fondness and love. Keats stayed standing, his arms crossed over his chest nervously.

"And who's this? A prospective student?"

Lup grinned and shook her head.

"Not exactly. He's one of my coworkers. Ren, this is Keats. Don't let him fool you. Little guy's older than I am, century included."

Keats felt a hot blush rise in his cheeks and his ears flicked straight up.

"Lup!"

She shrugged.

"Hey, you're the one always complaining because no one takes a twelve-year-old seriously. Thought I'd help out."

Ren smiled, a bit of concern in her expression.

"Well, it's sure nice to meet you." Her eyes flicked between them for a moment and then she took a breath. "So, what's got two Reapers of the Raven Queen in my office? I didn't think I'd been breaking any death laws, and if it was Taako, I think Kravitz would be here."

Keats laughed a little, almost awkwardly. Then he held his hands up.

"No, no, it's nothing you did. Promise. I actually... This might sound really weird, Ma'am, but I was sort of hoping you could tell me about... about Brian."

* * *

Brian tugged his sister further into the crowd, dodging between people and ducking past the guards of the nobles. Ren did her best to keep up with him, eyes wide and excited. They could hear another person shouting, saying that it was almost time for the show to begin.

"Come on, baby sister, if you want to see the show, we need to get up close."

He managed to get them into a pocket close to the stage and pushed her in front of him, keeping his hands on her shoulders protectively. Neither of them had ever seen an elf from the surface before, let alone one with a cooking show. Brian could feel Ren bouncing on her heels with excitement. That was when the elf, Taako, strode out and started enacting wonders on stage. He cooked amazing things, performed feats of magic, and Ren was enraptured. Brian could see why and he hugged her around the shoulders, formulating a plan. 

When the show left, and the rest of the dark elves who had come out to watch had proceeded back to their homes, Brian pulled Ren aside.

"I was thinking... What if we didn't stay here? You could learn more of that, Ren. I know you love cooking and you could go to the surface and learn to cook like that elf, Taako. And I could find a better life than what we've got here. What do you think?"

Ren had thrown her arms around him with an excited shout. It was the answer to her dreams.

* * *

She met Keats' eyes steadily, unsure of how to respond. Why was a Reaper asking about her big brother? She knew he was dead. She'd learned that after the Day of Story and Song. Lucretia had even apologized for it happening, for having taken the memories of him away. Still, there was no reason for them to be asking about Brian unless... 

"Brian's not in trouble, is he? In the Astral Plane, I mean. I know he... I know what happened to him."

Keats licked his lips nervously, trying to figure out the best way to proceed. Then he took a leap.

"I'm his therapist and I... I'm having a really hard time getting through to him. It's been all this time and I only  _just_ found out he even has a sister." He bounced a little, nerves starting to get the better of him. "I'd really like to know what you can tell me about him. If you'd be willing, I mean."

Ren smiled softly at him and gestured at the other empty chair.

"Have a seat and I'll try. It's... it's a little funny what I remember when I go looking for it." She got up, moving to lean against her desk instead of sitting behind it. "I guess they made people forget-" Keats was already nodding and Ren smiled a bit more. "Of course, you'd know all about that, wouldn't you? Well, for a while there, I didn't even remember I ever had a brother. But Brian was the best older brother a girl could ask for."

* * *

"Come on! We've almost made it!"

The end of the cave was in sight and Ren faltered. There was sunlight streaming in and it hurt her sensitive eyes. She threw up a hand, trying to block it but to no avail.

"Brian, are you sure about this? What if we can't?"

He turned around and hugged her tightly. Then he pulled his wizard hat over and plopped it down on her head where it might do something to block the light. It was too big for her and slipped down. Ren giggled and Brian grinned.

"We  _can_ do it. And do you know how I know? Because we will stick together. And as long as we're together, there's nothing in the world that can stop us."

* * *

They'd managed well enough for a while, long enough to get to a town called Refuge. It was the first place that no one had looked at the pair with their white hair and red eyes like they were monsters and Ren had even found work making drinks and cooking. They spent their days learning and trying to fit in better and their nights mastering magic together. Until the day the bubble went up and Ren was alone. Until the day Brian beat his hands against the translucent dome, able to see his home but not able to go back. He'd sworn he would find a way to get back to her. He'd sworn he would find out what this thing was that had separated them. And a few years later, Ren had forgotten she ever had a brother. The Voidfish had taken every memory of him that this world ever had and consumed them as surely as if he had never existed. Ren no longer even remembered how she'd gotten to the surface. She only remembered the show that she assumed had inspired her to chase her dreams. 

* * *

She was sobbing by the time she'd finished her story and the little boy had gotten up, hugging her tightly. 

"I understand," he said it softly. "I know what it's like. My... my brother and sister..." Edward and Lydia had fallen to the thrall of a relic, to the thrall of necromancy, to the thrall of immortality. And they were gone. "But I can help Brian, I promise. He's... he's lost and I don't know  _why._ I know why he tried to escape but not to who. It... it wasn't you. I think. And I'm sorry about that. But he keeps talking about getting married."

Ren shook her head a little and wiped her eyes on her sleeve. She returned the hug and tried to smile.

"If he was, I never heard. He must've found a real nice guy if he was going to settle down though. After everything we saw in the Underdark..." She trailed off and licked her lips before going on. "I was trapped the whole time he was at the Bureau, I'm afraid. You'd have to talk to someone who knew him then."

Lup nodded a little and put a hand on Ren's shoulder, giving it a little squeeze.

"You gonna be alright, Ren? Because I can tell Taako you're taking the rest of the day, if you need it. He can't give you shit if I said it was okay."

"No, no, I'll be better if I've got something to think about. And I've got to get this account done before this afternoon. There's a board meeting and the rest of the trustees are going to get on Taako's case if I don't have the proof that we're not throwing money away." She hugged Keats again and then smiled down at him. "Tell Brian I said hi, alright? Tell him... tell him I love him and I'll see him again someday?"

Keats nodded and smiled. 

"I will, Ma'am. I promise. I think you helped a lot. I hope so, anyway. And... thank you."

* * *

Keats walked into Brian's room with an excited bounce in his step. The dark elven man sat cross-legged in the corner now, the little spider perched on his knee. Keats sat on the bed and grinned at him.

"Hello again, Brian. And Bryan. I've got news for you."

Brian tilted his head to the side, a distant smile on his face.

"About the music, ja? But it will never do. I've heard the musicians here and they're good but they are just not good enough. No, no, he is the most spectacular musician, we cannot have some third-rate bard perform. It will never do."

Keats made a silent note of that, hoping he could cross-reference it with something, and smiled. 

"Oh no, nothing like that. I wouldn't even know what to look for in a bard." Keats paused then, trying to make sure Brian was looking at him and not through him. "I talked to your sister. I talked to Ren, Brian. She's safe and not trapped in Refuge anymore. Do you remember Refuge?"

Brian looked at him oddly for a long moment, red eyes unfocused. Then he smiled brightly.

"Oh ja! My little sister. She is a brilliant chef, you know? And a little wizard. She is going to be so good someday."

Keats shifted to the floor, kneeling in front of Brian.

"She is, you know. She works at a magic school now. With Taako."

Brian nodded slowly and reached to gently pat the small spider he called Bryan.

"She loved seeing the show, didn't she, Bryan? It wasn't that long ago. Maybe he would come to the wedding, then she can see him again, ja?"

Keats sighed. He'd really thought he'd gotten through then, but Brian slipped right through his fingers once more. The answer had to be there somewhere. Maybe the answer was music.

* * *

When Keats had come asking if he could maybe play a piece of music for one of his patients, Kravitz had hesitated. He wasn't entirely sure it was proper, but Keats had seemed so convinced that this would work some sort of miracle that nothing else had managed, so Kravitz had brought his harp down to Brian's room and spent a few moments tuning it while Keats stood near the door and took notes. Brian had sat there murmuring to his spider at first, just like he always did. But when Kravitz began to pick out the first few notes of his warm-up, Brian's head suddenly snapped up and he looked like he was hanging on every note. Kravitz spared a glance over to Keats whose ears had flicked straight up in excitement. It was working. It was really working. Brian leaned forward, raising a hand as though he was conducting the music, a smile on his face and his eyes half-lidded.

"Beautiful, absolutely wonderful. Just superb, darling."

He fixed his eyes on Kravitz, looking at him and not through him for the first time since he had been brought back to the Eternal Stockade after the incident in the Miller lab. Keats took a step forward, nervous, not wanting to break this moment as Kravitz began to play a song in truth. His eyes were closed now as he nodded his head slightly in time, feeling the music as he played it. It was a beautiful melody, ancient and ethereal, that flowed with Kravitz's motions as he played, becoming a part of the piece as much as he was the musician. And Brian was enraptured. He said nothing through the song, merely leaned further and further forward with his ears flicked forward as much as they could. When the song was finally over and Kravitz had sat up to stretch his back, Brian began to applaud excitedly.

"Yes! Yes, that's exactly it! Keats, darling boy, you found a musician just as good as my Johann. Where did you find him? He's a delight. And handsome too."

Keats and Kravitz exchanged a look. They knew that name. Everyone knew that name. Johann, the bard from the Bureau of Balance, the bard who had inspired the world. Brian had been going to marry  _Johann?_

But the more Keats thought about it, the more it lined up. And now he wasn't sure what to do. How did you break it to a dead man who was obsessed with his wedding to the point that he was blocking attempts to get through to him to help him move on that his fiancé was also dead? Keats turned towards Kravitz, eyes huge. Kravitz exhaled slowly and then stood, moving to kneel in front of Brian.

"My name is Kravitz. I don't know if you remember me from the Miller lab, but I was there." He spoke slowly, annunciating carefully. "I know some friends of yours. Keats thought perhaps you would like a song. Did you like it?"

Brian nodded excitedly and gestured at the spider on his knee.

"Bryan and I loved it. It was touching and romantic. You have a way with the strings, Kravitz. So, do you do weddings?"

Kravitz looked sharply at Keats and the younger Reaper moved to sit next to Brian as well. 

"Brian," Keats started, voice uncertain. "Do you know where you are? Do you know what happened?"

Brian considered that, trying to remember. Then he looked suddenly stricken.

"Ren! I needed to find a way to help my little sister. She is trapped and... and I need something to break the bubble on the town and-"

Keats put a hand on Brian's arm, trying to calm him.

"It's alright. I talked to Ren and she's okay. She's not trapped anymore. No one in Refuge is trapped anymore. All of that is behind them. She misses you, Brian. She told me to tell you she loves you and she'll see you again someday."

Brian smiled at that and then looked down at his hands.

"I went after one of the Grand Relics, didn't I? I... I wanted to free my baby sister. And I thought it would help her. The Phoenix Fire Gauntlet, ja? I remember it now." He looked up at Keats, a sad look on his face. "I'm dead, aren't I?"

Keats nodded slowly and moved to hug the man, mindful of the spider still sitting happily on his knee.

"It's okay though and we're gonna talk about all of that. But I want to make sure that you're alright first. Okay? I know you've been through a lot." Keats turned to look up at Kravitz and smiled. "Thanks, Krav. Maybe you could come play again some time?"

Kravitz returned the smile and nodded a little.

"I'd love to. Let me know if you've got any requests, Brian. I'll admit, I don't have many people I play for anymore. But a receptive audience is always appreciated."

Once Kravitz had left, his harp under his arm, Keats settled on the floor again so he was leaning against the foot of Brian's bed.

"So, Brian, we've got a lot to talk about. Why don't you start by telling me about Johann?"


End file.
